On August 23, 2010, the Postal Service™ published a final rule Federal Register notice (75 FR 51668–51671) to provide optional mail preparation standards for flat-size Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Bound Printed Matter mailpieces prepared for delivery within ZIP Codes™ served by Flats Sequencing System (FSS) processing.
Effective January 2, 2011, the Postal Service will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 343.6.0, 343.7.0, 345.2.0, 363.0, 705.12.0, 707.13.0, 707.14.0, and 707.19.0 to effect these changes. FSS is a critical element in the Postal Service’s strategic operations plan and will allow the Postal Service to improve delivery efficiency and control costs.
In the 1990s, the Postal Service, in an effort to control costs and limit postage prices, adopted technological changes designed to reduce the time carriers spent in the office preparing mail for delivery. The most notable of these changes was the implementation of Delivery Point Sequencing (DPS). Today, the Postal Service is now placing nearly 92 percent of all letter-size mailpieces into delivery sequence. Similar to DPS processing for letters, FSS automates the sequencing of flat-size mailpieces into delivery order, eliminating labor-intensive manual sortation by carriers.
One essential change to the methods that mailers use to prepare flat-size mail involves the modification of bundling standards when mailing to delivery areas with FSS-processing capability. The Postal Service, as it begins to determine the best practices for optimizing FSS implementation and operation, encourages mailers to prepare bundles of flat-size mail to facilitate the efficient loading of this mail into the FSS machines. Efficient induction of mailpieces into FSS requires bundles of flats to be of equal height, in order to facilitate their placement into the standard containers that feed into the FSS induction mechanism. Preparing bundles that can be placed easily into these containers improves efficiency in loading containers and ensures stability and ease of transport of mailer-prepared containers.
The Postal Service developed these optional preparation standards working with members of the mailing industry, representing a wide spectrum of flat-mail owners and preparers. The group determined that the preparation of bundles and pallets specifically for FSS processing could lead to greater efficiencies and cost savings for both USPS® and the mailing industry. Industry members agreed that the production of uniform bundle heights could reduce the costs associated with preparing bundles, and that more stable pallet construction would improve mailer transport of the mail to drop shipment locations. In addition, preparing FSS scheme pallets allows for the creation of larger pallets, permitting the mail to move directly to the FSS mail prep area.
The Postal Service is also providing advance notice that FSS-based mail preparation requirements will become mandatory in the future; however we are currently not proposing a timeline for their implementation.
With this revision, mailers will have the option to prepare separate mailings of Standard Mail®, Periodicals, and Bound Printed Matter barcoded flats (up to 20 ounces), including some barcoded nonmachinable Periodicals flats capable of being processed by FSS, into one or more of the following pallet-level separations:
1. A 5-digit FSS-scheme ZIP Code™ combination (including one or more 5-digit ZIP Codes).
2. FSS facility sort (all 5-digit FSS-scheme ZIP Code combinations processed within the same facility).
3. A sectional center facility (SCF) with FSS capability, when combined on pallets with flat-size mailpieces not intended for FSS processing. (Preparation of the SCF pallet level is optional.)
Mailers choosing to prepare flats for delivery to FSS zones, using this option, will place qualifying mailpieces from all price categories into a separate combined pool for each individual 5-digit FSS-scheme combination. Mailers will then prepare bundles of uniform size from the pieces in the pool. Bundles must be identified as a 5-digit scheme presort with an optional endorsement line (OEL) under 708.7.0. OELs used under this option may be applied to the top piece of each bundle, unless otherwise required to be placed on each piece by other standards. All pieces for each combined mailpiece pool must be prepared in bundles of similar height (3 inches minimum to 6.5 inches maximum), secured according to current bundling standards. Except for one overflow bundle that may be under the minimum height, all bundles within each mailpiece pool must be of uniform size. Though we will allow overflow bundles, we encourage “leveling” (adjusting bundle heights within a presort destination to avoid overflow bundles) of the bundles within each mailpiece pool. The counter-stacking (rotating groups of mailpieces within a bundle 180 degrees from the preceding and succeeding group) of mailpieces within bundles is not being addressed as a part of these optional standards, and mailers may continue this practice in accordance with current standards. In the future, the Postal Service may require that mailpieces not be counter-stacked within bundles when being prepared for FSS processing, but no decision on this potential requirement has been made.
Bundles must be placed on pallets to form layers of consistent thickness; and bundles of nonuniform thickness must be counter-stacked on pallets in accordance with current standards. Pallets must be prepared and labeled as described in DMM 705.8.0, with a pallet placard bearing an Intelligent Mail® container barcode as described in 708.6.6.0.
Mailpieces that meet the current eligibility standards for basic and high density carrier route prices will continue to be eligible for these prices when prepared in accordance with the FSS optional preparation standards. Saturation price Standard Mail and Periodicals carrier route flats are not eligible for preparation under this option. The sequencing of mailpieces within carrier route bundles is not required or recommended when preparing FSS bundles. All other mailpieces will be eligible for the applicable 5-digit automation or non-automation price.
To improve FSS processing, the Postal Service recommends that mailpieces be randomized within each bundle (i.e., within bundles, randomly arrange pieces regardless of price category) comprising each 5-digit FSS scheme as defined in labeling list L006.
The 5-digit Outside-County bundle charge will be assessed on bundles of Outside-County Periodicals prepared in accordance with these standards, even though mailpieces being claimed at the carrier route piece price may be properly placed within these bundles. FSS 5-digit scheme pallets will be assessed the Outside-County container charge applicable to the 3-digit level pallet, and FSS facility sort level pallets will be charged a container price applicable to the SCF pallet.
Interested mailers may obtain additional information by reviewing the complete Federal Register notice available on the Postal Explorer® website at http://pe.usps.com; click Federal Register Notices in the left frame.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing, 9-23-10
